Of The Past and Present
by Koakuma Tsuri
Summary: 48/100: Stalker. Genesis just wants to be free. There's one thing standing in his way. Genesis/Rufus. Implied Tseng/Rufus, Lazard/Rufus and Lazard/Tseng. Yaoi-ish. Post-DoC


48/100: Stalker. Genesis/Rufus  
*points at Kysis* All her fault. All her idea... and partly mine. So yeah, implied yaoiness.

Disclaimer - Characters are not mine.

* * *

Stalker

Of The Past and Present

All his life, Genesis had been monitored like some lab rat caught up in a maze as part of an experiment. Whether it be his parents, scientists or superior officers, there was always someone looming over his shoulder, checking that he did not lose control.

Even now, just when he thought he was cleansed of his past, he still felt the slimy presence that meant the Turks were on his trail. That he could understand; he was once a threat, but why puzzled him. Insulted him. Genesis was working with the WRO, staying with Strife himself, and still the world obviously had yet to trust him enough to let him walk around without a pair of unseen suited chaperones?

Closing his eyes as he downed the final mouthful of his drink, Genesis focused upon the aura that lurked in the far corner of the bar to the left. Two of them, to be precise.

Through careful conversation with Cloud, Genesis had learnt nearly all of what happened in the years since he entered dormancy. President ShinRa had died (how was left unsaid), his young son had taken over and he, in the recent years, had apparently changed his ways completely. Which surprised Genesis to no end, and yet _not_ somehow. The two had always been similar, driven and ambitious. So, if Genesis could reform why would there be any reason to think otherwise of Rufus? But why then was ShinRa so hot on this surveillance?

He stood up, sliding his stool backwards and walked away from the bar. Tifa shot him a look that he didn't bother to reply. He left that building, entering the dark streets that were still near desolate from the amount of souls Nero had 'collected' to awaken OMEGA only a few weeks previously. It was strange: Midgar was always so busy. None of the SOLDIER trinity could walk three paces in the Fountain Plaza without being besieged by middle-aged women who should've been looking after their children more than acting like teenage girls again. Or maybe that was just his history of a somewhat neglected childhood coming back to haunt him. Now if anyone actually recognised him, all he got were glares, snide comments and curses. So he didn't go out when the sun lit the streets, when those few who had escaped the Tsviet's Darkness came out to wander.

He turned a corner. He could hear the footsteps that pursued, but only faintly. These two were good… but there was one thing that they couldn't hide. Genesis could – and would – use their loyalty to ShinRa against them. Another change in direction, the Turk's heart rate rose.

A slight smirk, that spread only a little into his eyes, graced his lips. His pacing slowed, becoming languid and casual. Mocking. The Turks knew he knew they were there, as they were every other day; every minute he stepped outside the room he was borrowing. This was teasing. Keeping that smirk, listening to how that steady thump, thump, thump fastened to a beat he could almost dance to. Almost. Maybe a little too fast to dance without a partner. Coming to a stop at the door of a large, what could be an office complex sometime in the foreseeable future, Genesis glanced back at the shadows where his unwilling companions were lurking. With a flick of his fringe out of his face, he straightened his jacket collar up around his neck again, pulling up securely around his chin. Rattling cages wasn't something he'd done in a while… but it was something that he was, in all honesty, beginning to miss. It was for his freedom, he could, and would, say in his defence. The doors opened quickly and easily to his SOLDIER strength, and no sounds broke the silence inside. There was nothing on that floor, unsurprisingly, but Genesis knew exactly where the young blonde was hiding. Rufus was predictable. He liked odd numbers, especially the number thirteen. What a coincidence, there were currently thirteen finished floors to this half-built establishment. It was there that the scarlet SOLDIER headed.

Another door was flung nearly clean off the hinges, but not from anger more just hasty and incompetent assembly. There were people on this floor, Genesis was quick to find out, having an all-too-familiar mag-rod pressed against his neck for the split second it took for his reflexes to shove the redheaded Turk back against the wall. Another Turk made his move, but was just as easily deflected. Content, Genesis sauntered closer to the desk in the centre of the room. That one wooden desk, that could be cast aside like a house made of cards if he so rendered it, kept him away from the young blonde. A few years ago maybe Genesis would've lost himself and yelled at the new President, but now he just smiled thinly and leant on his fists over the smooth, polished surface.

"Rufus, _darling_, how have you been?"

The blonde cleared his throat and glanced coldly at his two useless personal guards. "Genesis," There was a slight incline of his head. "Reasonable, yourself?"

The redhead's smile grew. "Fabulous, despite waking to find my brothers in a coma and the world completely strewn to pieces," He moved across the desk, not around it, rather over it until he was near straddling the black leather executive chair. "But I think it's sweet you feel some duty to protect me,"

The reaction he desired, a quirk of those lips or a laugh, was not given. Rufus really had changed… hardly the hormonal teenager he remembered. It was almost sad. Genesis would've liked for at least one thing to stay the same from the old days. Apart from Reno's uselessness and Reeve's odd sense of what could loosely be called humour.

The SOLDIER didn't want to give up the game just yet though… "Still bitter over Lazard, hmm?"

Rufus' eyes narrowed in a suspicious, accusing question. That relationship was a carefully guarded secret between the two blondes (Rufus had yet to find out that they were related) so how did he know? "I don't know what you're talking about,"

It made Genesis laugh, a light, flighty sound that echoed off the cold walls. "Of course you do," He leaned forwards again, gripping the collar of the younger's innermost shirt. "It wasn't the girl's heart that gave your location away… but you know that. Just like how you know Lazard slept with him before you did." Those words were uttered straight into the ear that was veiled behind platinum hair, quietly, lest the peons overhear. When no reply came, once again, Genesis moved his head lower, just enough to brush his lips against the man's pale neck. He hadn't tasted this flesh since it was barely legal… pleasant memories of that time he missed somewhat. The freedom, the lack of shame and regret. His missed those days. He missed some people more than others and strangely, teenage 'up for anything' Rufus was one of them. He pulled back up, still smirking. Two orbs of azure stared into each other, endlessly.

"You've changed, Rufus," Genesis said bluntly. His hands returned to press into the leather that wrapped around his slim thighs. "Why can't you see the same for me?"

Now the blonde smirked, a familiar sight, thankfully. "Have you? You're still the same cock-strong man I remember,"

Genesis laughed again. "Some things have to stay the same. But people change. I've changed."

This time, it was Rufus who leant forwards. But, unlike the redhead, he was perfectly able to keep his hands, lips and gaze in proprietary. "I'll believe that when I see it," Was all he said before he slunk back into the warmth of his padded black leather.

Biting back a bitter outbreak, Genesis swung his legs back down to the metal floor and trotted back off the door, passing the two Turks who stood, waiting for his departure. He complied without a word.

Upon exiting, Genesis started to wonder just what that would have been achieved had it have gone the way he had expected it… probably something that involved one of his favourite physical hobbies that didn't need a sword to be done correctly. Either that or the Turks would've been called off his tail.

He should've been used to this by now, so why make all this fuss? Or maybe it was all just for fun.

Darkness was all around now. Very few artificial lights ruled over Edge like they did Midgar, but there were stars overhead and they gave a silvery glow to the pavement. One thing missing was instantly noticeable. No footsteps. Just… freedom.


End file.
